Student Health welcomes all students to come to our health center to utilize our many services. We recognize that LGBT students may have specific concerns or issues that they want treated in a sensitive, caring, and comfortable environment.

Looking for a particular provider? Prefer a male or female provider? Visit our Meet Our Staff page for provider bios. All of our providers have experience with LGBT students and are open and eager to help with your health care needs.

For other LGBT topics, please check out the tabs below (links open to content below):

Don’t see what you are searching for or you have further questions? Drop us an e-mail to gotquestions@ecu.edu.

General Health Issues

Student Health recognizes that LGBT students may face unique challenges to obtaining medical care. Even going through patient registration at the front desk can cause anxiety, particularly for students whose legal name or assigned gender does not match their internal feelings or outward appearance. Once registered, it may be stressful to be asked questions of a personal nature or to feel that you need to keep information secret that may be needed by your health care provider. Our goal is to help you be as healthy as you can be, recognizing that your health is composed of the physical, mental, spiritual, and social, and that this also includes your views on sexual orientation and gender identity. We encourage you to let us know about your specific needs or concerns either before your visit, by emailing us at gotquestions@ecu.edu, or during your visit by communicating them to your health care provider.

Student Health can also assist in the following ways:

Pharmacy consultation room

If you would like to speak to our pharmacist privately about a medication, product, or question you may have, feel free to ask to use the consult room. Located right next to the pharmacy area, it provides students with a quiet, private room to talk with our pharmacy staff.

Patient education materials

Student Health strives to provide educational material that is
inclusive for all students. If you are looking for a handout or
pamphlet and cannot find something that you need, please let us know at gotquestions@ecu.edu.
We are constantly adding and revising educational material and
welcome suggestions from students on issues they want to find out more
about. If you read one of our pamphlets and have an idea about how to
make it more inclusive to LGBT students, please let us know.

Visits for transgender students

Transgender students seeking services often face difficulties when scheduling or coming to a medical office for service. We want all students to feel comfortable and not feel that they have to hide their identity to come to a medical appointment. If you have a specific concern about an upcoming appointment, e-mail us at gotquestions@ecu.edu.

Name preference & registration

Our electronic medical record uses the university registrar
information such as your legal name and gender as it appears on your
admission records. However, if you have a preferred name you would like
us to use, or if you want to change your preferred gender information
to male, female, or transgender, let the provider or nurse know that
takes care of you. We are happy to make those arrangements in the
record. In the future, we hope to have the capacity for you to change
your own information online, or when checking in at our self check in
kiosks, without having to ask a staff member to do so.

Hormone injections

Are you receiving hormone injections? Student Health can fill your
prescription in our pharmacy or perform blood work to help monitor your
therapy. Our Rapid Care nurse can also administer your shots,
potentially saving you time and money by doing it affordably and
conveniently. To see what we need from your doctor to be able to
administer your injection, visit our Rapid Care
page. While we can help with injections, lab work and prescriptions,
Student Health cannot prescribe hormone therapy at this time.

Many insurance policies do not cover hormone therapy or anything
related to gender reassignment surgery or treatment. If you would like
to check on specific pricing at Student Health for medications, lab
tests, injections, etc, send us an e-mail at gotquestions@ecu.edu;
many services are provided at a reduced cost, so if your insurance does
not cover what you need we may be able to help by saving you money with
our services.

Unisex bathrooms

While our bathrooms located behind the pharmacy and upstairs are
designated as male or female, we have several located throughout the
clinic which are unisex. You can find 2 next to our lab (walk through
the main lobby as if you were headed out the side door; the bathrooms
will be on your left just past the lab) and 3 others in the clinic exam
areas (easiest one to find is right by our scales in the clinic). Still
need help finding one? Ask a SHS staff member.

Sexual Health

Student Health can help with many issues regarding sexual health. We offer education, patient consultations, information on safe sex products, and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as general medical visits for any kind of private health concern.

Often our providers and nurses ask personal questions when assessing a health problem or offering medical or testing services. We encourage you to be as open and honest as possible, as communication with your provider is essential. Be assured—all information about your health and medical record is CONFIDENTIAL. Unless you give us written permission, we cannot share any health information with anyone—not parents, professors, or even friends.

If you have a specific issue or question, please e-mail (you can use a non-ECU e-mail if you want to remain anonymous) us at gotquestions@ecu.edu.

Interested in STI testing? We have 2 ways to schedule.• Not currently having any symptoms? If you are symptom-free, you can schedule a visit with the Fast Track nurse to test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and/or syphilis. Make sure not to urinate within 1 hour of your appointment time. You can schedule with Fast Track by calling 328-6841, or by logging into Online Student Health.• Having symptoms, need testing for warts or herpes, or need to see a provider for a problem? Make a clinic appointment with one of our providers by calling 328-6841, or by logging into Online Student Health.

STI symptoms--if you have any of these symptoms, you need to schedule an appointment with a provider for STI testing.• Unusual vaginal discharge, odor, burning, or itching• Pelvic pain or lower abdominal discomfort• Irregular vaginal bleeding that is not a menstrual period• Pain with intercourse• Sores, bumps, or blisters around your genital or anal area• Burning with urination• Penile drip or discharge• Swollen or tender testicles

The staff at Student Health Service recognizes that talking frankly and honestly about sexuality issues is uncomfortable for some people. It is important to remember that the more information you share with the health care provider, the better they can help to meet your needs. Quality health care begins with good communication between patients and health care providers. Be prepared to address topics concerning your sexual history, current sexual behavior, methods of contraception and STI risk reduction, and any current symptoms that you may be experiencing. These questions are asked for medical reasons and will ensure the best care possible. All information is confidential.

You should consider getting screened for STIs if you have ever:- Had unprotected (no barrier device was used) oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone of an unknown STI status. - Had intercourse under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and cannot remember what happened.- Shared IV drug needles with an infected person or someone whose STI status was unknown.- Had a past or current sex partner that told you of their infection with an STI.

Personal safety is one of the most important aspects of health. Whether it is relationship violence, an assault that
occurs, bullying, or some other issue that threatens your personal
safety, Student Health Services (SHS) wants you to know that resources
are available on campus to help you.

Who can help?

ECU Police can be reached by calling 911 for emergencies, or (252) 328-6787 for non-emergency calls.

Think assault and relationship violence only happens to certain people?It can happen to ANYONE.

SHS
has trained forensic nurse examiners on staff that can assist victims
of sexual assault. We can provide information, appropriate testing for
health concerns related to the assault, and can also collect evidence
kits during our normal business hours. Sexual assault and abuse is any
type of sexual activity that you do not agree to, including:

Inappropriate touching

Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration

Sexual intercourse that you say no to

Rape

Attempted rape

If you, or someone you know, has been raped:

Get
to a safe place, call 911 or a trusted family member or friend. If on
campus, remember the blue light emergency stations on campus that link
immediately to police.

Know that rape and sexual assault ARE NEVER THE VICTIM'S FAULT. No matter where or how it happens.

Call
or suggest calling a rape crisis center. You can call the ECU Center
for Counseling and Student Development at (252) 328-6661 or the REAL
Crisis Center at (252) 758-4357.

Preserve evidence of the rape.
Try to encourage the victim not to eat, drink, or smoke. The victim
should also not bathe or shower. Evidence of the rape would literally
be washed away. Keep all clothing from the rape. SHS can collect rape
kits during normal business hours, or the victim can go to Vidant
Medical Center's Emergency Department.

Bruises, cuts, and
sexually transmitted infections may all be of medical concern. Seek
treatment with a medical provider, even if you do not want evidence
collected.

If you friend has been raped, help him/her organize
his/her thoughts about how to proceed. Do not take control or make
decisions for him/her. Present options, but let your friend make the
final choices.